Faith Daily | 1 December 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p464

Almighty God,

give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness

and put on the armour of light,

now in the time of this mortal life

in which your Son Jesus Christ came among us

in great humility,

that on the last day,

when he shall come again in his glorious majesty

to judge the living and the dead,

we may rise to the life immortal;

through him who lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Matthew 7: 21-27

21 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” 23Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

24 ‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Rev’d David

John Stott wrote: “The Sermon on the Mount is the nearest thing to a manifesto that Jesus ever uttered, for it is His own description of what He wanted his followers to be and to do”

As we read and reflect on the sermon, we cannot miss the clear instructions that define His true followers. In His conclusion to the sermon, Jesus begins by saying that when we choose to follow Him, we choose uncompromising commitment, sometimes a difficult road, but certainly a narrow road which only a minority will find. (Matthew 7:13-14). These are challenging words, and in today’s passage He goes further. Here Jesus looks forward to the judgment day where the difference between false and true professions of faith will be determined. He will identify the false and say to them "I never knew you, get away from me you who break God’s laws” (Matthew 7: 21-23 NLT).

So obedience to the truth of God’s Word is the true test, it is the foundation on which true faith is found.

And to illustrate and reinforce this, Jesus tells the parable of two houses, one built on solid rock and one on sand. When the real test comes the latter “…will collapse with a mighty crash” (Matthew 7:24-27 NLT)

As I reflect on this challenging passage before us today, my prayerful commitment is to determine by God’s grace, to make my life all that He calls me to be.

I think the following quote sums up the message before us today:

“There is nothing surely which exhorts us more than the Sermon on the Mount, to be what we are meant to be, and to live as we are meant to live, to be like Christ, by being a complete contrast to everyone who does not belong to Christ” (Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

FINAL PRAYER APBA page 561

Bountiful God,

we thank you for planting in us the seed of your word:

by your Holy Spirit, help us to receive it with joy,

and to live according to it, that we may grow in faith and hope and love;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen